1. Field of the Invention
Implementations of various technologies described herein are directed to flame ionization detectors (FIDs) and to various methods and/or systems for managing and calibrating the FIDs.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples do not constitute an admission as prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Industrial plants that handle volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sometimes experience unwanted emissions of those compounds into the atmosphere from point sources, such as smokestacks, and non-point sources, such as valves, pumps, and/or vessels containing the VOCs. Emissions from non-point sources typically occur due to leakage of the VOCs from joints and/or seals and may be referred to herein as “fugitive emissions”. Fugitive emissions from control valves typically occur as leakage through the packing set around the valve stem. Control valves used in demanding service conditions involving large temperature fluctuations and frequent movements of the valve stem commonly suffer accelerated deterioration of the valve stem packing set.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated regulations specifying a maximum permitted leakage of certain hazardous air pollutants, such as benzene, toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, from certain hardware or fixtures, e.g., control valves. Fugitive emissions are typically monitored using a VOC detector, like a FID, which may also be referred to as a vapor analyzer. Government regulations require that VOC detectors used in the testing of valves and other components in petrochemical processing or manufacturing facilities be calibrated at various intervals. These calibration activities must be documented and made available for inspection for up to five years. If the calibrations are not performed, or if they are performed but not documented, the facility owner can be fined and/or suffer other regulatory sanctions.